


Star Wars: A Thousand Faces

by plokool



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Animal Abuse, Heist, Research, Science, Tatooine (Star Wars), Violence, With A Twist, the villain wins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 03:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19455880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plokool/pseuds/plokool
Summary: Ten beings: Five scientists, their mysterious benefactor, and his crew of fourA daring heist on the desert planet of TatooineWhat they find will change the course of galactic history, but maybe not how they thinkA one-shot set after the events of The Last Jedi





	Star Wars: A Thousand Faces

The cruiser drifted lazily into the planet’s atmosphere, twin suns at its back. While not a particularly large ship, it boasted a spacious cargo hold that extended from the bottom in an unusual way. The beings onboard gathered at the bridge, ready for their next move.

“Commander, if I may,” said a young male Twi-lek, his head-tails twitching with anxiety. “Do we need to contact any planetary authorities before we land? I’d…well, I’d hate to be shot down.”

The man to whom he had spoken turned away from the forward viewport. A featureless chrome mask covered his face, but he had the body of a male human or near-human, possibly young and physically fit. The Twi’lek had no idea what his employer looked like, but the curiosity gnawed at him.

“No need for such formality, Graaz,” said the commander in heavily-modified voice. “I may be financing your mission, but we are beings of science here, not military.”

Some of the tension released from Graaz’s shoulders. Beside him, his peers did the same. Graaz had known two of his crew since his university days: Tietuuk, a female Sullustan, and a male Zygerrian named Jan Ranac. The other two were newer additions: Dr. Kono, an older human woman, and her assistant, a male Cerean named Tah-Moak.

Of course, Graaz’s employer brought a crew of his own, four human men, but they did not seem particularly friendly. The two groups had stayed civil on the journey, but only socialized among their own circles. The whole situation set Graaz on edge, but who was he to turn down a mysterious benefactor when his life’s research was at risk of ending?

“And to answer your question,” the commander continued, “no one on this planet cares. On Tatooine, there are no real planetary authorities to report to. The Empire had a presence here, back in the day, but only barely. The Hutts run things now, as they always have. To them, we look like just another smuggler ship, if they’ve noticed us at all.”

The tension eased further. The ship continued down to the planet’s surface without incident. Still, the commander could tell Graaz and his fellow researchers were uneasy. 

“I’m sorry that I can’t tell you who I am. All I can say is that I come from a position of great power and resources and that I have an interest in your work. The aims Life Longevity Project are in line with my own. But, should my identity be revealed, it would make things…difficult.”

The commander’s answer did not make Graaz feel any better. Whoever he was, Graaz had reason to suspect he was dangerous. Still, the mission continued. Graaz looked out the viewport onto a vast expanse of featureless sand. The rest of the crew did the same. Dr. Kono fidgeted with her greying black hair. Jan Ranac pulled a coin from his pocket and flipped it idly. Only the commander’s men stood stern and resolute, as always.

The vessel now skimmed close to the surface. They were near enough now to see a herd of banthas plodding through the desert on the left side, which made Tietuuk smile. Tietuuk was quite fond of animals, and so the next phase of the mission would be difficult for her.

That was not to say this would be easy for any of the scientists. They had the misfortune of following a course of research that was not only dangerous to life and limb, but highly illegal as well. And once they did what they came to Tatooine to do, there would be no turning back.

Graaz picked at his sleeve as he fretted over this.

“It will be okay, friend,” said Tah-Moak. “The laws against this were made by the Republic, and they are not around anymore. And either way, the good we do with our research will change the galaxy.”

“He’s right,” added Dr. Kono. “We started the Project at that conference because we all share a belief in the good of enhancing the lifespan of all beings throughout the galaxy. This mission, drastic and crazy as it may seem, is our best idea yet.”

Before Graaz could say anything in response an alarm blared at the front console.

“We’re almost there,” said the commander. “Rush and Sabretooth, you take the rear guns. Wilde and Dante, go to the front. Remember your training. We only have one shot at this.”

Without a word, the commander’s men ran from the bridge and down to the cargo bay.

“Should we do anything?” asked Dr. Kono.

“No,” said the commander, “only observe. Soon, we will have what we came here for and we can be on our way.”

The scientists gathered at the viewport. They were now directly over their target, but it was not impossible to see. Below them, the desert sunk into a pit, and at the center sat a massive mouth, lying in wait for anything that might happen to fall in. Graaz realized he was leaning on the viewport, imagined it giving out, and backed up. Tietuuk’s concerns were more realistic.

“They know how to do this without killing it, yes?” she said.

“That is what they have been trained to do,” the commander said simply.

“But how? I mean, a sarlacc is not exactly a common thing. Granted, the way they reproduce creates a multitude of spores, but only so many take root and the growth rate…”

“A simulation was all it took,” said the commander, cutting her off. “Now, they’re about to begin. We really should watch their work.”

Graaz swallowed hard. This was the point of no return. If the research produced results, they would be heroes. If not, criminals. Hunting a sarlacc was a serious offense. Even worse to transport it. And with records of so many denied requests for access, Graaz knew the Life Longevity Project would be a prime suspect.

Below them, the scientists could hear the ship’s ventral guns activating. The commander sat at the helm, keeping the ship steady. Tah-Moak cast a wary eye at the masked man piloting the ship.

“Worry not,” said the commander, a hint of frustration in his robotic voice. “I am an excellent pilot.”

Tah-Moak looked back at the viewport just in time to see the first harpoon launch. The hooked blade struck the sarlacc near the beak, close enough to the center to sink in deep but not so close as to hit anything vital. The creature’s tentacles writhed in pain and surprise. Tietuuk covered her mouth in horror.

Within seconds, the second harpoon struck, amplifying the sarlacc’s response twofold. Wordlessly, the commander began to raise the ship up into the air. The scientists held tight to the railing as the ship jerked all around. The sarlacc was firmly affixed to the ground, while the harpoon cables were secure in the ship.

The commander pushed hard on the controls now, lifting the ship ever higher. The ship shook violently from the tension. The metallic groaning of the cables competed with the whining engine and screaming animal to be the loudest. Then, slowly, the sarlacc’s hold on the ground began to give way. The scientists looked in awe as the beast was pulled out of its home.

The body was long and bulbous, with root-like appendages sprawling out in every direction. Graaz had seen anatomical diagrams, of course, first in school and later as he furthered his studies, but it was nothing like seeing the real thing. Few had seen the body of a sarlacc beyond the mouth, and fewer still from the outside. As the creature flopped violently in the air, screaming even more than before, Graaz questioned his choices.

Without warning, the ship lurched to the side and dropped rapidly. The sarlacc’s body landed in the sand with a powerful thud.

“What’s wrong?” yelled Graaz. “Are we crashing?”

“No,” said Dr. Kono, “or at least I don’t think so. We can’t get the sarlacc up to the ship with those two harpoons. The weight is too much, either the cables would break or the hooks would rip right out of its flesh. We need…”

Dr. Kono was interrupted as the rear harpoons launched and attached themselves to the bottom of the sarlacc. The ship lurched again as the sarlacc, with the last of its strength, bounced up from the sand upon being impaled. No doubt its shrieks could be heard from the nearest town. Graaz took a look at the time.

Once the creature settled down, the four cables reeled back in in unison. Sagging at the middle, the sarlacc was lifted up and out of the sand and into the air. The screams were replaced with a soft, pathetic whining. Tietuuk had started crying. Surprisingly, Tah-Moak cried as well. The winches below continued, lifting the sarlaac up and out of view. When it was completely gone, the cargo bay doors closed behind it.

“I will get us away from the planet,” said the commander. “After that, we can go down and inspect our prize.”

The ship made a short jump away from Tatooine before settling down into an unoccupied patch of space. Graaz grew nervous. Hyperspace tracking was impossible, last he heard, though there were those rumors about what happened to the Resistance. But aside from pursuit by authorities or angry Hutt enforcers, Graaz was concerned about any number of brigands who stalked their prey just off the beaten path. He touched his small, concealed blaster reflexively.

“Shall we go down?” said Jan Ranac, filing his nails. “Seems like the time has come.”

“Warm as always, Jan,” said Tietuuk, glumly.

“Excuse me for not crying over a monster,” he replied. “How many sentients do you think that thing has killed? We want what’s inside it, so let’s get it and get moving.”

“Please, let us not spoil our moment of triumph with squabbling,” sighed Dr. Kono. “We are this close to greatness. Let’s not end our alliance now. Not with so much at stake.”

Jan Ranac and Tietuuk gave each other scornful looks and walked to the turbolift in silence. Tah-Moak stuck close to Graaz and tried to ignore what he too seemed to view as petty drama. The commander was the last to join them. The door slid instantly shut behind him and the lift sunk fast to the cargo hold.

If the sight of the sarlacc was stunning from the viewports, it was even more so up close. The creature was truly massive, dwarfing not only the crew, but the small shuttles hanging from the hold’s ceiling. But Graaz had to concede to Tietuuk, it was also a heartbreaking image. The massive being struggled under its weight. Though it was not naturally supported by water like large aquatic organisms, it was not intended to lie horizontal and unrooted. This position was doing untold damage to the creature.

“We must work quickly,” said the commander.

“Yes, sir,” said Dante, handing the commander a small vibroblade. “The others are ready in position up on the balconies in case anything goes wrong.”

Graaz followed the commander’s hidden eyes and saw the other three gunners perched high up in the hold, powerful rifles aimed at the sarlacc.

“Thank you, captain,” the commander replied, “but there should be no need. The creature should be harmless in this position. Just be sure to keep our guests away from the tentacles.”

“It’s not the creature I’m worried about, sir,” said Dante simply.

“Understood,” nodded the commander.

The commander walked up to the side of the sarlacc and placed the palm of his hand against its skin. He stood motionless a moment, as if in meditation. The scientists looked on, unsure what to do. In a flash, the commander extended the vibroblade and activated it, positioning himself to stab right into the creature.

“Wait!” shouted Dr. Kono, running up to the commander. “This wasn’t the plan at all.”

“It was always my plan.”

“No, that can’t be. We need to send down probes, take x-rays, acquire samples. Tah-Moak was going to put it in a life support system. We were not going to cut it open unless absolutely necessary.”

“Unfortunately for you, Doctor, it is necessary.”

“But…”

Before Dr. Kono could respond properly, the commander pushed her hard and sent her careening back towards her peers. She stumbled and fell, clutching her ankle.

“Now wait a minute!” called Graaz, pulling out his blaster. “You can’t do that to her.”

“Stand down, Graaz,” said Dr. Kono, through gritted teeth. “we’ve been had. Cooperate, and they might let us keep what’s left.”

“Quite right,” said Dante, aiming his blaster squarely at Graaz’s chest. “I advise you listen to your senior.”

When the scientists had sufficiently settled, the commander did what he came to do. With a quick and elegant stroke, he plunged his blade into the side of the sarlacc. The beast spasmed violently but was unable to mount any sort of defense. From the wound on its side flowed gallons of blood and other fluid and then, impaled on the commander’s blade, a male Weequay in light armor.

The Weequay’s body was covered in the same viscous, purplish fluid that had come pouring out of the sarlacc’s wound. But, more remarkably, he was still breathing. He did not breathe for much longer after the commander removed his blade and began cutting further at the sarlacc, but he had been breathing.

“You see,” said the commander, catching his breath, “your hypothesis appears to be correct. This being was alive in this sarlacc for a very long time.” 

“This proves nothing!” cried Tietuuk “How do you know how long he was in there? He could have been flung in yesterday for all we know. Your method is wrong, it is cruel, and it is destroying all we have worked so hard to accomplish!”

“I’m sure you could run some tests to prove his age, could you not?” the commander replied, unfazed by her outburst. “But if you want better proof, you shall have it in just a moment.”

The commander had already been covered head to toe between his helmet and clothing, but he touched a button on his glove and added a shimmering layer of forcefield to seal him in completely. They were meant for short jaunts into space, but these types of shields were also useful for hazardous material.

Without another word, the commander dove into the hole he had created in the sarlacc. Dante glanced back and forth between the beast and the scientists, his blaster pointed now at Tietuuk. The other gunners sat above, tense. They were ready to shoot, though they did not know what good it would do. Least bothered at this point was the sarlacc, which had been overwhelmed by pain and slipped into a state of unconsciousness.

Seconds felt like hours in the cargo hold, with only the squishy sounds of a man walking inside a great beast breaking the silence.

Without warning, the commander’s vibroblade emerged from the hole it had previously created. The commander stumbled out next, taking effort to lift his feet over the ragged edges of the sarlacc’s skin. He turned and reached back into the hole. He was pulling something out. Graaz craned his head to look.

A helmeted head. The soggy, decayed remains of a small cape. Armor that had once been a grayish green, but now was mostly an unpleasant rusty shade. The being stirred weakly in the commander’s arms. It was treated carefully. It had no vibroblade wound, though the contraption on its back was terribly damaged.

The young scientists had been very focused in their studies, so they had not learned much even of recent galactic history. Dr. Kono, however, remembered.

“So” she whispered, still clutching her ankle, which had begun to swell, “I understand now. This was all because of him.”

“Your instincts serve you well, doctor,” said the commander. Dante whistled to the other gunners, who scrambled down to the floor and moved the being to a hovering stretcher. “As you can see, he is quite alive, and fell in on the same day as that unfortunate Weequay. I trust that should be a sufficient start to your studies”

The young scientists remained confused. Dr. Kono tried to give them a reassuring look.

“Now, the matter of your payment. The first half was paid out to begin this voyage, but I understand I still owe you the rest. The ship and specimen are yours to keep. As for the rest, I believe this should be the correct amount.”

The commander walked over to Jan Ranac and handed the Zygerrian a credit chip with a small piece of flimsi attached. Without another word, the commander walked briskly to the opposite end of the hanger, where his men had prepared a small vessel. The four were already aboard, with their prize secured to the stretcher in the cargo container.

“Act quickly!” he shouted back at the scientists. “You might save it with some bacta. And hook up that life support. Your cooperation will be remembered!”

The commander took his position at the helm of the small ship and blasted off through the magnetic shield at the end of the hangar. He was already gone before the scientists could begin to follow his instructions.

The small vessel could not make the jump to lightspeed itself, but it did not need to. Not long after the cargo ship wisely fled to somewhere the scientists considered safe, a massive craft appeared out of hyperspace. The Star Destroyer Finalizer opened its docking bay to allow the commander’s ship to land. A crew of stormtroopers, their white armor in pristine condition, awaited the crew as the ship landed and powered down.

The commander opened the hatch and climbed down, his men following suit. Each of the troopers accompanying the commander was given white armor of his own, save Dante whose armor was bright red.

The commander removed his mirrored helmet, revealing the face of a young male human with a prominent scar and dark hair, and handed it to the trooper attending him. The trooper took it and offered him a different helmet, one that had been repaired from previous damage.

“Welcome back, Supreme Leader,” said the trooper.

Kylo Ren shook his head, his hair, wet with sweat, moving freely for the first time in what felt like ages.

“No need for my mask, sergeant,” he replied. “I want our guest to see my face when he wakes.”

“The medical team is attending to him now, Supreme Leader. When he is ready to discuss matters, you will be the first to know.”

“Thank you, sergeant. You are dismissed.”

Kylo Ren nodded to his crew. He had picked those four troopers particularly for this delicate mission, and they had performed admirably. He made his way around to where the medics had moved his acquisition. He watched as they carefully removed the Mandalorian armor and treated the man’s wounds.

“Boba Fett,” he said, “we meet at last.”

“You might have to wait a bit longer,” a familiar, irritating voice announced from behind Kylo’s back. “He doesn’t appear to be conscious.”

Kylo turned, seeing the man he had expected: General Hux. Though they were allies, Kylo had hoped Hux would have been far, far away at this moment.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about this operation?” sneered Hux. “Really, now, sneaking around behind my back?”

“What’s to sneak about?” Kylo replied. “I am the Supreme Leader. You follow my command. The secrecy was a matter of security and, I must admit, to avoid your unnecessary objections.”

“Unnecessary? Before you sent your signal to come pick you up, I got a call from Rotta the Hutt saying some pirates had come and stolen his favorite means of disposing of enemies! Did you really think you could get away with just yanking a sarlacc out of Tatooine?”

“I really did, but thank you for letting me know. I’ll have to compensate Rotta for his loss. Can’t have the Hutts switching allegiances if they learn it was me.”

“Are you even listening? This was madness, and all to drag out some half-eaten bounty hunter. I hope you’re happy.”

“Of course I am,” said Kylo, patting Fett’s bacta chamber to the medic’s objection. “This is the beginning of our victory. Time and again your troops have disappointed. Not all, I will admit. Dante, Rush, Sabretooth, and Wilde, for instance, deserve promotions. But so many of our forces lose despite vastly superior numbers. Phasma was one of the best and now she’s gone. FN-2187 is a hero for the Rebellion!”

“I take your point,” said Hux, backing away slightly from Kylo’s rage. “A clone army may be in order, but why go through all this trouble for a source?”

“Boba Fett is the unaltered clone of Jango Fett. The original samples were destroyed on Kamino decades ago. Any clone trooper remains we could find would not contain a pure sample. Jango’s body is long gone. It had to be Boba, and I knew right where to find him. And perhaps, if he recovers and is willing to cooperate, he could even help lead and train the new troops.”

“You miss what I’m saying. There are trillions of beings in this galaxy. Surely there was another option. A bounty hunter of the modern era, a mighty gladiator in an underground fighting arena, some Resistance fighter turned to our side, his face weaponized against his former allies.”

“No, the Fett clones brought in the Empire once before and they will again. It’s not just about battle. We could crush the Rebellion with any decent clone army. But this face…”

Kylo pointed to Boba, his face distorted by the bacta but recognizable as an older iteration of the face seen on every Republic clone trooper.

“…and a thousand faces just like it will restore the order, the first true order the galaxy ever knew, that the Empire delivered. He is a symbol of tradition, continuity, and stability that will keep the masses in line.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Hux. “Still, this is a far cry from what you said before. I thought you wanted to break from the past. What changed?”

“There have been,” Kylo looked away, “developments in my philosophy since then.”

A dark feeling filled the air. It seemed to come from Kylo, but was somehow beyond him. Hux grew cold.

“But it doesn’t matter what I believe, not for this anyway,” continued Kylo. “Using Fett is a symbolic gesture. War might bring us power, but politics will keep us there.”

“Then we had better recruit some politicians,” laughed Hux, stopped by Kylo’s icy stare. “So, where to next?”

“Kamino. I have had a crew rebuilding the facilities there and a small cohort of Kaminoans on my side. It appears they have improved the process some in the intervening years. Apparently wealthy beings are interested in transferring their consciousnesses to younger bodies, so they’ve had to perfect manipulation of aging in the clones. We can have the first units within standard months.”

“Excellent,” said Hux. “I had my doubts, Ren, but perhaps with your army we can crush this foolish Rebellion once and for all.”

Kylo and Hux went to the bridge and ordered the Finalizer make the jump to Kamino. As they watched the stars stretch into lines across the viewport, Hux seemed uneasy.

“Out with it, Hux,” said Kylo. “I sense you have another objection to my plan.” 

“Only a minor one,” he replied. “Why did you not simply have us destroy the scientists when you were finished with them. If this army is meant to be a secret, they appear to me to be a liability.”

“Their research, though quite possibly a dead-end, may yet prove useful. And I have taken precautions. They will not speak a word of what happened until they are ready to publish their findings. Removing the sarlacc puts them at odds not only with legal authorities, but the Hutts as well. And, when they are ready to publish, I have instructed the Zygerrian to kill his colleagues and bring the data to me. Only he among them knows my secret.”

“And he would do that? To his peers?”

“Absolutely, I sensed nothing but disdain in him. He would have left their group long ago were it not for his respect for Dr. Kono, but that admiration shifted to me during our mission. Now that he knows who I am, he will be all the more eager to serve.”

“Very well. But still, what use is that research to you? I went through your files on these people. It sounds like absolute quackery to me. Extending life with some unknown compound found in the sarlacc, somehow assuming the tales of its slow and torturous digestion are literal? That its victims, regardless of natural lifespan, live for a thousand years? It’s preposterous.” 

“That is the risk, yes. Truthfully, the secret to immortality probably lies somewhere with the Force. Only one has ever seemed to crack it. Still, with such a great mystery it might prove wise to study all aspects. Science, partnered with the Force, may accomplish more than either could alone.”

Hux had no response to this. Kylo stared forward as the dark side swelled around him. These clones would bring an era of unprecedented power, not only for him, but for the revived Empire he would lead. But, though this plan and his decision about the scientists had felt his own, doubt tickled at the back of his mind. Just how much was he really in control?

The darkness washed over him now, leaving no room for doubt. It was time to pay Boba Fett another visit and explain decisively what was needed of him. They had arrived at Kamino.

**Author's Note:**

> This was first conceived before the first trailer for The Rise of Skywalker was released. The basic premise was unchanged after seeing the trailer, but some of "the commander's" actions and motivations near the end take on some extra meaning in light of what that trailer implies.  
> This is just meant to be a one-off idea I had, I don't expect TRoS to follow it obviously, and I won't be building on it further. I just wanted to write out what I thought was a cool concept. Hope you enjoyed!


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